Hurricane Helene Impacts

October 1, 2024

Dear Heart of Brevard Business Community and Stakeholders,

Our office has been trying to stay open in fits and starts throughout the crisis, and as of now, we have Wi-Fi and are working to fully establish connectivity. The City of Brevard and Transylvania County are excellent sources for local updates, and we will work to keep our social media updated as well. Downtown businesses should feel free to reach out to me on my mobile at 828-606-6198, and I will respond as quickly as I can. Additionally, our NC Main Street program is in the process of updating a best practices resource list to support our Main Street community and aid in our collective recovery.

First, we want to thank the first responders and volunteers for their incredible response and service during the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. We know it will take a village to recover, and their efforts are critical to our community’s resilience.

As we begin to recover from the recent crisis, we want to acknowledge that downtown Brevard is in much better shape than some other parts of Transylvania County and our neighboring regions in WNC. However, we are deeply aware that many small businesses in our area are hurting and will need our support in the weeks and months ahead. We are here for you!

Our team at Heart of Brevard has already begun collecting resources, and once the immediate crisis subsides, we will update these resources accordingly. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need any support. We appreciate your patience as our team also works to recover and reconnect.

We’re encouraged to share that cell service has been restored in most areas of Brevard, and the downtown free Wi-Fi is now up and running. We will continue to provide updates about resource distribution as they become available. Please review the following information about area resources for those in need:

Here are some helpful suggestions for our Small Independent Business Community:
The sooner you get in the (front of) line, the better.

• Call your insurance company and file a claim for lost revenues and employee payroll coverage.
• Apply for FEMA assistance if you experienced damage from the storm.
• Call your bank and inquire about disaster low-interest loans, extended credit, line-of-credit options, or other support services.
• Contact your vendors and ask for extended dating on invoices.
• Cancel or modify any orders you do not need for the immediate future.
• Request small discounts or additional support from vendors—small asks can add up. Don’t hesitate to ask for help from long-standing vendors; you’re in partnership, and they need you as much as you need them.
• Contact the Small Business Association for support and resources.
• Once power is restored, back up all your data on external hard drives if you haven’t already.
• Consider selling gift certificates to maintain cash flow.

If you have updates or notices to share on social media, please tag us @heartofbrevard so we can help amplify your message. We are working to keep the Heart of Brevard office open, but as of now, feel free to reach out to me directly on my cell at 828-606-6198, and I will respond as soon as I can.

Stay safe, and know that we are here with you. Below are some resources that may be extremely important for the western recovery efforts:

• FEMA: https://www.fema.gov/
• FEMA Español: https://www.fema.gov/es
• FEMA NC Referrals: https://www.fema.gov/assistance/individual/disaster-survivors/state-local-referral-lists/north-carolina
• US Disaster Assistance: https://www.disasterassistance.gov/
• NC Extension Disaster Info: https://ncdisaster.ces.ncsu.edu/
• ReadyNC: https://www.readync.gov/
• SBA Disaster Assistance: https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance